The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-03
QUEENS in FLORIDA.
ystt to FIesiaa Stock Fasm-As Asistoeracy
which Is Useful ~ sell a. Ornamental a nobiIIty
Loved by the People.

the stock farm of Capt. w. 1. Vason.
The owner is not a millionaire who
keeps fine stock to crafty taste capa-
BILE of finding compensation in the graft
fication of mis- love for the beautiful-he
is a plain man like the rest of us who
turns to cattle as legitimate investment
and has brought up his herd by careful
management from a small and poor
beginning, till each individual MEM
Der possesses in form and feature, tenn
per and adoption to purpose that perfec-
ton which is to the owner, as to Keats,
"a JOY forever
With Judge Wigg, of Palatka, the
writer rode out to the Vason farm to in
terview some of the nobility which our
worthy contemporary, the FTOridian,
has made famous. Judge Wigg is a
connoisseur when it comes 10 cows and
butter and milk, so we insisted
on his company that intelligent crit
icism might keep ignorant enthu-
siasm, prone to be too appreciative,
within bounds. 1t was a lovely morn
ing, and sunlight and shadow rested on
the long fluctuations in manner which
eyes accustomed to the fiat counties
found most refreshing. The dark green
symmetry and bright promise of the or
ange grove was absent, and our gleam-
ing waters lend none of their diversity
to the landscape Immediately around
this city. But we saw fields of cotton
and corn-oats already cut showed in
shocks about the fields-the pear Or
chards upreared their sharp pyramids to
blue sky. in which fieecy clouds lazily
fioated, and our horses tossed their beads
eagerly In the brisk morning air. The
pasture lands lay warm IN the sun, and
fat cattle stood about in groups or lay
thoughtfully under the magnificent oaks
which dot the slopes with undulating
masses of deep shade.
Through all this we swept by a deep
sun<en road to the homestead of Capt.
Vason. Here we passed through masses
of towering shrubs bordering broad,
| white walks-peaches Redeemed in the
sun-long trellises shrouded in grape
vines lay on the left-strawberries
cleaned from beds of glossy green
leaves and pots of beautiful ferns show
ed themselves on the long piazza which
| Southern homes. The captain was at
the capitol hard at work, but his kind
lady and lovely daughters made us at
home with warm-hearted hospitality
and, at our request, walked with us to
see the stock of which all Florida is
proud.
At the dairy we each took long
draught of buttermilk fresh from a churn
as sweet as any flower that blows
wherein masses of rosy butter still stood
to mark the interruption our visit had
caused. We passed on to a green lot
where creatures too beautiful to be call
ed calves stood around well in which
an .'oId oaken bucket" lay one hundred
feet deep in water clear as ice and near
ly as cool. The deer-ike little creature
rubbed their noses against our hand
like dogs, their symmetrical bodies, del
icate legs and necks, lovely color ano
deep, soft eyes showed them worthy o
I
given to an English court a reignins
belle. We have laughed at Homer TO
calling heavenly beauty ''ox-eyed;
standing in this presence we acknowl
edged that the old vagabond had beer
truly appreciative and we glanced int
others orbs, liquid and deep, for con
firmation strong as holy writ. Ever
our dull soul warmed as each little ras
cal came up for a caress and we grew
jealous till the battle SCARED old lawye
at our side gave expression to the feel
ings of both when he wished he wa
again a calf"
From these we passed on to see TIN
mothers worthy of such children. and sool
found ourselves standing under a grea
live-oak, while herd of twenty Jersey
came up to honor us with their acquaint
ance. With no hesitation and in lovin,
confidence they stood around us, an'
awakened admiration as lively as wa
ever felt in a ball room crowded witt
beauties, more brilliantly adorned, bu
not more delicately fashioned. moi
sweet in temper or of more graceful car
riage. Mo monarch ever looked NOR
regal than the proud king of the herd
and no friends could have been NOR
quietly inquisitive than We're thes
beasts. whose pedigrees stretch bac
, through long years, to end in neithe
=, robber chief nor bloody soldier. but a
whose victories are those of peace
4 n r
and some heifers We're evidently of tn
, opinion that our blooming young hostes:
habited in a dress of delicate rosy hu,
crowned by n fair face and masses {
blonde hair, was also good to eat" Bu
, this desire yielded to slight remou
, STRANGE, and Mrs. Vason talked learnedl
!, to Judge Wigg ON names and pedigree
!, and milk and butter and blue ribbon
. won at fairs, to which we gave sligi
\ heed because we lacked comprehension
For the writer of tins is no cowboy
. but he can appreciate beauty in bird ,
fish, blue sky and deep forest. dog {
;, horse or cow, and recognize all as b,
j, parts of the whole, which finds fulle
embodiment in that lovely woman WI
is the crown of all nature fashioned I
God himself Therefore for fuller Il
tails, which we cannot give, our reade
: are referred to other sources, but the
: Jersey cattle are valuable as ornamen
to gentleman's grounds as well ;
most utilitarian in. their capacii
for making contributions to I'll
. dairy. Many valuable animals ha,
= | G.